1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a quick release buckle assembly. In particular, the invention relates to a quick-release buckle assembly that can be used on articles of clothing such as cut away vest that need to be quickly and easily removed by the wearer.
2. The Prior Art
Cut away vests are often worn by members of the military and law enforcement agencies to aid the wearer in carrying gear, as well as to protect against bullets and other impacts. These vests, especially when loaded with armor plating, can be very heavy and cumbersome to wear. Therefore it is a requirement that the vests be easily removable by the wearer, in case the wearer must be mobile in an emergency, and especially in case of submersion in water.
In the past, these vests have been constructed of several separate pieces that are held together by a cable system. An example of this system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,243,376 to Johnson. A strap is threaded through each piece, with a hole in each strap. The holes are then lined up, and a cable is threaded through each hole. A loop on one of the pieces is threaded through the overlapping holes, and a cable is then fed through the loop, keeping all of the pieces joined together. In an emergency, the cable is pulled out, thus releasing all of the pieces simultaneously. This system works well to free the wearer from the vest, but it is extremely difficult to re-assemble the vest after use, so the vests are generally discarded after a single use.
A quick-release buckle system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,487,761. In this buckle, a cable system is directly attached to the locking legs of the male portion of the buckle so that pulling the cable pulls the legs inward. This buckle has the disadvantage that it is difficult to mold, and it compromises the strength of the locking legs, because they have to be made especially flexible to be able to be moved by the cable.